Though the number of games may be a bit underwhelming compared with holiday seasons past, this year holds a few gems that we think are worth checking out.
Jeff Bakalar
Jeff is CNET Editor at Large and a host for CNET video. He's regularly featured on CBS and CBSN. He founded the site's longest-running podcast, The 404 Show, which ran for 10 years. He's currently featured on Giant Bomb's Giant Beastcast podcast and has an unhealthy obsession with ice hockey and pinball.
Nintendo continues to feed off of the successful franchises of yesteryear with a brand-new Donkey Kong Country platforming adventure game. Fans of the previous games will instantly identify with the gameplay as it brings back mine carts, banana stages, and hidden areas.
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Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (360, PS3, PC) November 16
Players will once again step into the shoes of Ezio as he wages a battle against the Templar Order. Brotherhood also boasts an in-depth multiplayer mode, something that's been lacking so far in the franchise.
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Medal of Honor (360, PS3, PC) October 12
Medal of Honor is the anticipated reboot of the military-shooter franchise that debuted 11 years ago. This time, the self-titled Medal of Honor thrusts players into the current ongoing conflict in Afghanistan.
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Fable III (360, PC) October 26
In Fable III, players assume the role of the child born in the previous game. Fable III looks to eliminate standard RPG cliches, by making the role-playing experience much more intuitive.
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Epic Mickey (Wii) November 30
Disney Interactive Studios tapped some pretty impressive talent to bring the first Mickey Mouse game in quite some time to the Wii. Deus Ex and Thief co-creator Warren Spector is behind this darker Mickey title that uses paint and thinner as its main elements.
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Fallout: New Vegas (360, PS3, PC) October 19
Two years after the massively successful Fallout 3, the same developer is back to bring us Fallout: New Vegas. This latest title in the Fallout universe takes place shortly after the events in the third game, but on the other side of the country.
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GoldenEye 007 (Wii) November 2
Gamers demanded it and Eurocom Entertainment delivered. The title that popularized four-way split-screen mode is back making its debut on the Wii. A new single-player campaign coupled with addictive multiplayer is sure to bring back memories for countless gamers.
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Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii) October 17
We've never seen a Kirby game like this before. In Kirby's Epic Yarn, players use the threaded background to solve puzzles and fight enemies. The game's unique art style is sure to appeal to gamers of all ages.
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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (360, PS3, DS, Wii, PC) October 26
Starkiller still has a few scores to settle as this follow-up to 2008's game introduces Yoda and Boba Fett. The Force Unleashed also brings along new Force powers including the famous Jedi Mind Trick.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, Wii, DS, PC) November 9
Though it isn't made by the same developers as Modern Warfare 2, Black Ops is still the highly anticipated follow-up to last year's blockbuster. Black Ops also moves the atmosphere to various conflicts from the Cold War, rather than a modern setting.
